After suffering a frustrating sweep at the hands of Florida this weekend, the South Carolina softball team was ready to regroup against a struggling Campbell team on Wednesday. But the Camels jumped out to an early lead to upset No. 12 South Carolina 3-2.
South Carolina came into this game with a 12-0 record over Campbell but was unable to continue that perfect streak.
The Camels offense all came via the long ball Wednesday night. Pitcher Dixie Raley gave up a first-pitch solo home run to Rachel McCollum to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.Then in the fourth, the Camels hit another homer, this time a two-run shot off the bat of Lizabeth McCurry to make the score 3-0 and get all of the offense they needed to secure the win. McCurry’s home run was worsened by a Jordyn Augustus' error on a routine popup in front of the plate one batter prior.
The Gamecocks would make an effort to come back like they have nine other times this season, but ultimately came up just short. The Gamecocks had a two-run home run of their own from Cayla Drotar in the bottom half of the inning but couldn't get anything else going.
The entire team felt frustrated following the loss, and Drotar said that she knows this team is better than how it played on Wednesday night.
“We [came] out here complacent,” Drotar said. “We definitely didn’t show who we are tonight and it's very frustrating.”
Not being able to finish the comeback was a rare occurrence for the Gamecocks, and it was even rarer for them to lose at home. This was just the Gamecocks second loss at home all season, both have been a one-run difference.
“I’m disappointed,” head coach Beverley Smith said. “Obviously we didn’t play our best game.”
Despite the Gamecocks coming back so often this year, Smith just didn’t see the fight from her team that she usually does.
“I thought we were a little flat today, truthfully," Smith said. "I don’t think there was doubt from our team, but I think they’re a little flat.”
With this game, the Gamecocks fall to 34-11 (8-7 SEC) and have officially lost four straight with just three runs in those four games. The Gamecocks open a weekend series against Missouri which is 26-13 (6-11 SEC) but coming off a two-game series sweep over, at the time, No. 8 Auburn. With this losing streak, the Gamecocks need to refocus to get back on track.
“I think its really important,” Smith said of the upcoming series. “You’ve got a Missouri team that’s coming in, that’s playing well right now ... They’re fighting, they’re scratching, just like everybody does."
South Carolina hosts Missouri for the three-game series, with the first game coming Friday at 5:30 p.m.